Airtel Nigeria customer seeks 5 million naira in compensation

Airtel Nigeria subscriber Niyi Bada, has reportedly demanded that the company should pay him a ₦5 million (USD $13, 907) as compensation. The user has filed a claim on the company for much of unannounced, illegal and rigorous deductions for airtime recharges on his mobile number.

As revealed in a report by Nigerian Communications Week, Bada appealed for the claim from the telecom company by writing a letter to it’s management. This letter was drafted by Bada’s law agent, Niyi Bada & Co, on January 22, 2018.

The petition for the rightful claim that should be paid to the subscriber was addressed to the Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), stating that since the past two years their client has been flooded with innumerable text messages on his mobile line.

“We are solicitors to Mr. Niyi Bada hereinafter referred to as our Client on whose behalf and instruction we write this letter in respect of the above subject matter. Our Client informed us that in the last two years his line, that he bought in 2003 and which he has put to use ever since, has been inundated with numerous text messages informing him about his subscription to numerous services some of which are Video Magic weekly; Mini Start Service; VID Service; Fashion weekly; 2 VID Service; 10 VID Service; VOD; 828; 1 Subscription Service; Goool Club; N – Xpress Fashion Service; Smart now; Hollywood Club and Music Club.” says an excerpt from the letter.

The legal practitioners also told that Mr. Bada visited Airtel’s Oba Akran, Ikeja service centre several times to complain about the unauthorised subscriptions. He also made request to exactly “remove” the subscription and “not renew” them, but the access used to return in a few days again.

Therefore, the law company also quoted in the letter that, “It would appear that your company has a policy to fleece subscribers of their hard-earned money hence the decision to always restore the unsolicited subscriptions even when there were formal and persistent complaints to take them off.”

The law company has firmly indicated to take legal actions through a court against Airtel, if not met with the demands of their client.